Britons have voted for the 30 most beautiful buildings in Britain, and Buckingham Palace is number one.
The origins of the iconic structure, which won 24 per cent of the vote, date back to 1703, when it was the home of the Duke of Buckingham and known as Buckingham House.
In 1837, the iconic palace became the official London residence of the sovereign of the United Kingdom and today is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch, attracting more than a million visitors a year.
The rest of the top five comprises St Paul’s Cathedral (second, 21 per cent), the Tower of London (third, 20 per cent), York Minster (fourth, 18 per cent) and Westminster Abbey (fifth , 16 percent). .
Warwick Castle comes in sixth place (13 per cent), just ahead of the Houses of Parliament (seventh, 11 per cent).
Britons have voted for the 30 most beautiful buildings in Britain, and Buckingham Palace is number one.
St. Paul’s Cathedral takes second place in the ranking with 21 percent of the votes
The Tower of London comes in third place with 20 percent of the vote
York Minster comes fourth with 18 per cent of the vote
Eighth, it’s a mix of modern and old, with The Shard in London (built 2009), The Shambles in York (900 years old) and the Eden Project in Cornwall (opened 2001) all sharing 10 per cent of the votes. .
Ninth place is also shared by three structures: the Indo-Saracenic style Royal Pavilion in Brighton (nine per cent), the Royal Crescent in Bath (nine per cent), which features a row of 30 terraced houses arranged in a wide crescent , and Salisbury Cathedral.
At the center of the list, drawn up from a survey of 2,000 people commissioned by Leonardo Hotels UK & Ireland, are Blackpool Tower (next 11, seven per cent), which welcomes more than 650,000 visitors a year, Whitby Abbey (next 11, seven per cent), 11, seven percent), cent) and London’s King’s Cross station (12th, six percent).
Westminster Abbey won 16 per cent of the vote, putting it in fifth place.
In sixth place is medieval Warwick Castle, with 13 percent of the vote.
Cornish’s Eden Project biomes, ranked joint eighth
The 900-year-old Shambles of York is joint eighth
At the bottom of the list are the Barbican Center in London (14th place, four per cent) and the Central Chambers in Glasgow (15th place, three per cent).
Two-thirds (67 per cent) of respondents agree that the UK has some of the most beautiful buildings in the world, and 71 per cent admit they forget how beautiful the country is.
Six in ten (60 per cent) believe there is a lot to see in the UK, including stunning landscapes (46 per cent) and fantastic heritage and history (33 per cent).
The Indo-Saracenic style Royal Pavilion in Brighton takes ninth place
Blackpool Tower comes in 11th place with seven per cent of the vote
Caernarfon Castle (Wales) comes in eleventh place with 7 percent of the vote
More than a third (35 per cent) admit they love exploring Britain’s coastlines as it is easier to get around (34 per cent), cheaper (32 per cent) and less stressful (30 per cent).
Suzanne Cannon, Marketing Director, Leonardo Hotels UK and Irelandsaid: “It’s clear that the UK is home to so many stunning buildings, both new and old, and it’s fantastic that so many Brits recognize it as a beautiful holiday location.”
‘For those planning to enjoy a staycation, look no further. Our 49 hotels across the UK are perfectly situated in city centres, just a stone’s throw from some of Brits’ favorite buildings and landmarks.’